No possibility of border treaty ratification in current climate, says Russian politician ({{commentsTotal}})

Russia does want to finalize an Estonian-Russian border treaty, which has been agreed on, but not ratified, but sees no possibility of that happening in the current political climate, and partly due to Estonia's behavior, says Aleksey Pushkov, the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Duma.

Responding to a ETV question at a press conference in Moscow, Pushkov said there were no obstacles for ratification before the Ukraine crisis escalated. "As far as I know, the Russian Foreign Ministry was very positive on the treaty. And the fact that it is yet to be ratified, does not mean someone wants to alter it. But the political situation dictates that it must wait for its time."

He said that Estonia has hampered the ratification process itself too, adding that Estonia has made a number of stern statements and has been active in promoting sanctions against Russia.

“As you would expect, actions do not help to create a political environment which would help the ratification process along,” Pushkov added.

“Speaking about the spy scandal [involving Estonian ISS official Eston Kohver], it is a very explicit case and very difficult to comment – where exactly the Estonian officer was, on which territory,” he said.